fruit press recommendations?

[Ty520]

Was wondering if any of you could recommend a good, small home/hobby fruit press or brand - ideally, one that can accommodate a variety of fruits - specifically berries, pomes and stone fruits

 

[winemaker81]

A ~5 gallon basket press will probably do what you need. Amazon has a bunch, and you can check for used ones on various sources including Facebook Marketplace. I checked and in my area there are quite a few 1.6 gallon presses available, although those are tiny and may be too small.

I cannot recommend a brand, but strongly suggest you avoid Chinese made presses. The reviews I've read indicate a high percentage of significant defects.

 

[Ty520]

A ~5 gallon basket press will probably do what you need. Amazon has a bunch, and you can check for used ones on various sources including Facebook Marketplace. I checked and in my area there are quite a few 1.6 gallon presses available, although those are tiny and may be too small.

I cannot recommend a brand, but strongly suggest you avoid Chinese made presses. The reviews I've read indicate a high percentage of significant defects.

Thanks. My local brew shop sells basket presses, but was told they cannot handle apples? 1.6 gal capacity may suffice. I only want to press enough for must for 1 gallon batches.

I try to avoid anything and everything Chinese made any more. It's all garbage

 

[Jim Welch]

Opinion only here: avoiding anything made in the People’s Republic of China is always an excellent idea. Taiwan made goods are acceptable provided they are quality items.
BTW, there are numerous “how to’s” on the web to make a bucket press, including this site.
here’s one:
https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/bucket-press-revisited.48106/

 

[winemaker81]

My local brew shop sells basket presses, but was told they cannot handle apples?

I was going to recommend looking for presses that mention apples. The first two I looked at stated that hard fruit must be cutup first. It's entirely possible that you cannot get a press that can crush whole apples in the price range you're probably looking at.

Some years back I purchased a bushel of Red Delicious at a farmer's market, and ran the entire batch through a juicer. Made one batch from the juice, then made a second run from the pulp.

You might need to do something similar to process apples or other hard fruit.

 

[sour_grapes]

Opinion only here: avoiding anything made in the People’s Republic of China is always an excellent idea.

That is a very broad brush. I am reading your message on my Mac Powerbook.

China has both low- and high-end manufacturing capabilities. I am not a fan, but I live in the real world.

 

[mainshipfred]

I'm no expert but I don't think even commercial cideries press whole apples and from what I can tell a fruit press is a basket press. The only recommendation I might make is make sure the press is a ratchet type.

 

[Joel]

From what I have experienced you would put the apples through a crusher first then pressed the crushed the apples.

 

[winemaker81]

I've learned something new. Cool!

 

[Rice_Guy]

*one gallon is small and I am tempted to say not cost effective to manufacture.
*my mom’s answer was a press bag hanging from the kitchen cabinet pull over a bowl, twist for pressure
*my answer is a threaded rod frame to push a press bag with a reverse bar clamp, the basket is PVC pipe with holes, mostly I use a six inch by 20 inch but I built others sizes too. There are a number of variations on WMT. A tall skinny basket is more efficient than a squat basket. Constant load is important, commercial folks do this with hydraulic (home a pneumatic cylinder).
*to date I freeze apples rhubarb, raspberries, mulberry, etc and then press. When I get above a bushel I will look toward a small grinder. Yes large/ hard particulate is difficult to press, but freezing breaks tissue such that you can squeeze juice by hand out of single apples
*as a start look for a pail press on WMT with nylon press bag. Efficiency is about 50%, similar to my mom’s twisted hanging bag.
*for gallon volumes a juicer is worth looking at

Thanks. My local brew shop sells basket presses, but was told they cannot handle apples? 1.6 gal capacity may suffice. I only want to press enough for must for 1 gallon batches.

I can’t operate, makeing country wine without a press

 

[glennwing]

According to literature I have read chopping the apples up greatly increases juice output.
I made a grinder. Laminated and Turned a piece of maple into a 6 inch cylinder and studded it with stainless steel screws and mounted it in a wooden chute. Turned the cylinder with a large worm drive drill I had.
grinds a 5 gallon pail of apples into small pieces in less than a minute.
Greatly improved the efficiency of my press

 

[Jim Welch]

According to literature I have read chopping the apples up greatly increases juice output.
I made a grinder. Laminated and Turned a piece of maple into a 6 inch cylinder and studded it with stainless steel screws and mounted it in a wooden chute. Turned the cylinder with a large worm drive drill I had.
grinds a 5 gallon pail of apples into small pieces in less than a minute.
Greatly improved the efficiency of my press

Care to share a pic of your contraption? Sounds like a good idea.

 

[glennwing]

Have a wooden box that fits on top with a hinged flap that pushes down on the apples

 

[glennwing]

move the sawhorses wider and
Place a plastic tub underneath

 

[Venatorscribe]

Thanks. My local brew shop sells basket presses, but was told they cannot handle apples? 1.6 gal capacity may suffice. I only want to press enough for must for 1 gallon batches.

I try to avoid anything and everything Chinese made any more. It's all garbage

Throw them in a blender first. Use lots of pectinase and k meta

 

[glennwing]

 

[glennwing]

 

[glennwing]

Hadn’t looked at since last year and forgot the box Shute is hinged to the base and the 2 inch strip of wood at the bottom presses apples down in to the grinding cylinder

 

[glennwing]

Interior treated with food safe oil

 

[Jim Welch]

Thanks for sharing. Nice device you made there.